Rifle Falls
Rifle, Colorado
Details
Distance
0.63 miles
Elevation Gain
85 ft
Route Type
Loop
Description
Added by Derrick Lytle
Rifle Falls is a beautiful waterfall where you can escape the heat of Colorado's Western Slope.
RIfle Falls is located up Rifle Canyon just outside of the town of Rifle on I-70 in Southern Colorado. After driving by the sign for this gem many times on my drives from Utah to Colorado I made a short detour to check out the falls and have some lunch.
The state park is small with a some short trails, car camping, some short hiking trails with campsites, and these waterfalls with picnic tables nearby.
The hike up to the falls is easy and takes less than 5 minutes up a paved road. There's various small trails that wind up and around the falls and in to the caves made out of the carbonate rock which makes up the falls.
Take advantage of the trails and you can shoot the falls from lots of angles with little effort. The falls are in a canyon so shooting them in balanced light isn't much of a challenge although you may have to wait for people to move to get a good shot.
There's lots of great camping spots close to the falls and even some with power which can be nice if you need to charge your batteries.
The water has a lot of minerals in it so be sure to use a lens filter and bring a lens cloth to keep your lens as dry as possible.
Download the Outbound mobile app
Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.
Get the appFeatures
Rifle Falls Reviews
Easy to access falls- just a short walk from the parking lot. Fun caves to explore beyond the falls. In the winter it is cool to see the frozen water.
5.0
We went Friday evening, and there was hardly anybody at the falls. Very beautiful scenery, and the hike around the waterfall was awesome. There were even caves along the trail to explore!! Loved it!
5.0
The falls themselves are awesome, but it's worth the 20 minutes it takes to walk the path behind and above the falls. The trail will take you along limestone caves before making your way to the overlooks above the falls. Though it's a little out of the way, this adventure could easily be turned in to a day trip by camping in the park and exploring the other trails.
4.0
A 30 second walk brings you to a surprisingly spectacular waterfall. The calcium deposits and falls seem almost out of place in the mountain/desert landscape. The full path around the falls takes you by some pretty cool caves. All in all, nothing fancy, but a nice spot to grab a waterfall photo.
4.0
Fall comes a little later here than in the high mountains but it's worth the wait. One of Colorado's few photogenic waterfalls.
5.0
Leave No Trace
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
Nearby
Coyote and Squirrel Trails Loop
Rifle Gap Reservoir
Rifle Arch
Mt. Colorow Overlook
Camp at Heart Lake
Glenwood Hot Springs
Community
Mobile Apps
© 2025 The Outbound Collective - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy